(of a restaurant meal) having unlimited choices with a separate price for each item

by ordering items listed individually on a menu; "we ate a la carte"

A French term for menu items to be ordered and priced separately, as opposed to prix fixe (fixed price), which refers to a complete meal served for 1 established price.

1. Bill of fare from which the diner selects individual dishes. 2. Dishes cooked to order. A La Mode: Literal translation in the fashion of. In American cookery it describes cake, pie, pudding or any other dessert topped with a scoop of ice cream. In French cooking it describes beef pot roast, larded with fat, braised with vegetables and simmered in a sauce.

A term used by more upscale, expensive restaurants that means each item is separate. If a restaurant says that bread and water are a la carte, flee as quickly as you can.